Peace of mind as you maintain an honest and transparent relationship with your school age children.

Why is hair testing superior to urine testing?The Psychemedics hair test identifies six to ten times more positive results. Drugs in urine remain for a short period of time compared to the three month window of detection provided by the Psychemedics hair test.

Can passive ingestion (at a party, rock concert or in a car) result in a positive on the Psychemedics hair test?No. Our cutoffs are set to make that impossible. We are looking for intentional drug use and alcohol abuse use only.

Can external contamination (getting drugs of any kind on your body or head hair) generate a positive on the Psychemedics hair test?No. The Psychemedics extensive wash protocol, and only the Psychemedics wash, has been scientifically proven to remove any possibility of external contamination resulting in a positive.

Is there any way to change the results of the hair test with external hair treatments?There is no way to beat or cheat this test.

Can a single use of drugs or alcohol result in a positive?No.

Can the Psychemedics hair test provide a reasonable estimate of use for drugs or alcohol?Yes. While it is not possible to determine an exact amount of use with any type of drug or alcohol test, the Psychemedics drug / alcohol test will provide low, medium and high levels of usage.

Does the standard Psychemedics hair test currently identify legal ADHD drugs such as Cylert, Ritalin, Adderall, and Vyvanse?These drugs are not currently among those identified in The Right Start program.

Can the Psychemedics drug test be used if the student / client has no head hair?Yes. The Psychemedics hair test is the only drug test currently FDA cleared for all drug assays for both head and body hair. Body hair is collected from the arms, chest, under arms and legs only and never private areas.

How much hair is required for the Psychemedics hair test?75mg/80 hairs (slightly wider than a pencil lead) is needed for the dual drug and alcohol test. Each test sample may be taken with a single clip of hair. Psychemedics requires the smallest amount of hair in the industry; other labs require 2-3 times more hair to be collected.

Will some legal, medically prescribed drugs generate a positive result using the Psychemedics hair test?Yes. Opiates and synthetic derivatives will generate a positive. This will help you determine if it is a drug prescribed for your student. A complete list of drugs currently covered by a Psychemedics drug test can be found here.

Does Psychemedics have documented false positive results?No. A full explanation of this remarkable record of accuracy and reliability can be found on our website.

Will non-excessive drinking such as wine at dinner, champagne at a celebration, an occasional beer or mixed drink generate a positive result?A positive result will identify at minimum an average of one drink a week for a three month period.

Has the Psychemedics drug test science been consistently upheld in court and other legal proceedings?Yes. Psychemedics drug testing has a legal record without peer in the industry. Most cases cited by other labs are cases where Psychemedics science has been successfully validated as accurate and reliable.

Does my student’s name ever go to the lab with his / her hair sample?No. Only randomly generated ID numbers are sent to the lab to protect the privacy of the student.

How are the samples shipped to the lab?Secure Test Results uses FedEx exclusively to ship all samples from the collection site to the Psychemedics lab in Los Angeles.

How long does the sample collection take?The sample collection itself typically takes five to ten minutes. However, total time will be dependent upon the number of clients waiting. Scheduled appointments are recommended.

How long are the negative and positive samples kept at the lab?The negative samples are destroyed after 30 days. The positive samples are stored at the lab for 5 years which is the industry standard. However, all results are destroyed at the end of each academic year both at the Psychemedics lab and by Secure Test Results.

Do the results of a Psychemedics hair test fall under HIPAA laws?No. A hair test for drugs is not considered a medical test and therefore does not fall under HIPAA laws.

Will test results ever be shared with anyone other than parents in The Right Start program?No. Only parents will receive the results.

Who are some of the other clients that trust Psychemedics for their drug testing?Psychemedics has been chosen by hundreds of schools, colleges and athletic programs across America and in 39 foreign countries. Many of America’s largest police forces and 10% of the Fortune 500 Companies rely on Psychemedics testing.

How does Psychemedics compare to other laboratories doing hair testing?Psychemedics testing science is proprietary and no other labs can use their science. Psychemedics has done more hair tests for drugs than all of the world’s other labs combined. Hair testing is Psychemedics only business and it has more experience in educational institutions than any other lab in America.